The ASUO Senate couldn’t hold its meeting Wednesday night because too many senators failed to show up, leaving student groups who came looking for funding empty-handed.
Seven senators failed to turn up for the meeting, falling one short of the 13 that would equal two-thirds of the Senate, the fraction necessary to hold a meeting under the ASUO’s rules. Senate President Nick Gower said all but Sen. Jairo Castaneda had notified him ahead of time they would be absent.
Castaneda said his absence was a deliberate attempt to make a statement about an incident at the April 28 Senate meeting.
There, the Senate gave the club women’s lacrosse team funding to go to its national championship in Scottsdale, Ariz. While voting for the funding, Sen. Ben Fisher told members of the team to “bring your birth certificates,” a reference to Arizona’s recently passed immigration law, which critics have said will lead to racial profiling.
“I believe that was highly disrespectful,” Castaneda said after the comment, at which many senators and audience members laughed.
Fisher said the comment was intended as a joke criticizing the Arizona law, which he, like Castaneda, opposes.
“The whole reason for me not going to tonight’s Senate meeting was not Fisher,” Castaneda said. “It was the climate that allows things like this to be said.”
Fisher has since apologized to Castaneda, both senators said, but when Castaneda failed to appear at Wednesday night’s meeting, Fisher openly characterized Castaneda’s reaction as “stupid,” and many other senators declared anger or frustration with his decision, attempting unsuccessfully to reach him by phone.
When it became apparent Castaneda would not show up, the 12 senators present tried other ways to find a 13th member. No other senators in Eugene could be reached or persuaded to attend the meeting, so senators instead reached Sen. Paige Libadisos by video chat.
Libadisos had sent a public e-mail over University servers declaring she would be out of town for family-related reasons, and Sen. Nick Schultz characterized her absence Wednesday as “the most legitimate.”
However, the meeting was called off after Sen. Tyler Griffin said he was uncomfortable with meeting the Senate’s attendance requirements through video chat and it became clear Libadisos could not hear the meeting.
The only group seeking funding whose members said it needs the money before the Senate’s next meeting was the Multicultural Center, looking to pay for two speakers coming May 12 and 13. Gower told the MCC’s representatives the Senate would hold a special meeting for them if necessary.
“Unfortunately, a few senators who don’t want to represent their constituents are the reason we don’t have quorum tonight,” Gower said.
Castaneda disagreed.
“It’s unfortunate when marginalized communities have to make sacrifices like that,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that I was forced to take a position like this and make that choice.” He said he expects the MCC will still be able to get the money up front.
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